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Hideki Iinuma
Born: 1975, Nagano, Japan
Lives and works in: Tokyo, Japan

Education

  • 1994 – 1998Bachelor of Arts, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
  • 1998 – 2001Master of Fine Arts, Aichi Prefecture University of Fine Arts, Aichi, Japan
  • 2002 – 2004Diplôme National d’Arts Plastiques, École Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Nantes, France

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2016–2025

  • 2025Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2025Wood Carving Workshop & Presentation, Vigilius Mountain Resort, South Tyrol, Italy
  • 2024“Roulette”, UG Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2024“Recto Verso”, Otherwise Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2022“Pro File Picture”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2021“Symptoms”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2020“TENTACLE”, Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2018“New Works”, Marian Cramer Projects, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2018“Tokyo Paradise”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2017“Amazon Nile Taklamakan”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2016“Fighting Goddesses”, Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Nagano, Japan

2002–2014

  • 2014“6th Sense”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2011“Beauties”, XYZ Collective [SNOW Contemporary], Tokyo, Japan
  • 2011“Beauties”, SLANT, Kanazawa, Japan
  • 2010Marian Cramer Projects, The Netherlands
  • 2006Fabian & Claude Walter Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
  • 2005Ernst Barlach Prize Exhibition, Hamburg, Germany
  • 2004Cornelius Pleser Gallery, Munich, Germany
  • 2002Maison Billaud, Fontenay-le-Comte, France

Selected Group Exhibitions & Art Fairs

2021–2025

  • 2025Marian Cramer Projects Pop-up during Art Basel Paris, France
  • 2025Art Rotterdam 2025, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • 2025W 568 Exclusive Exhibition, GIN HUANG Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
  • 2025“Muse for the Modern Age”, Poet and the Bench, San Francisco, CA, USA
  • 2024“START Box EXHIBITION vol.1”, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2023“Art Session Part 1”, Ginza Tsutaya Books, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2023“EAST EAST TOKYO”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2022Art Fair Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2021ART TAIWAN, GIN HUANG Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
  • 2021Art Fair Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

2011–2017

  • 2017“Echoes from the Past | Tokyo | Berlin | Kerava”, Kerava Museum, Finland
  • 2015“LUMINE meets ART AWARD”, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2011Tongerlohuys Museum, Roosendaal, The Netherlands

Forthcoming Exhibitions

  • 2026Solo Exhibition, Vigilius Mountain Resort, South Tyrol, Italy
  • 2026“Wood Sculpture Group Exhibition 2026”, Neptune Gallery, Tainan, Taiwan
  • 2026“ART SHINSAIBASHI”, UG Gallery, SPACE14・PARCO GALLERY, Osaka, Japan

Awards & Prizes

  • 2016Grand Prize, LUMINE meets ART AWARD 2015, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2013Special Recognition Award, Rokko Meets Art, Hyogo, Japan
  • 2005Ernst Barlach Prize, Hamburg, Germany
  • 2004First Prize, International Wood Sculpture Symposium, Dresden, Germany
  • 2001French Government Scholarship for Study Abroad
  • 1999INOAC International Education Foundation Scholarship, Aichi, Japan

Public Collections

  • Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Japan
  • Ernst Barlach Museum, Germany
  • The Kalevala Society Foundation, Finland
  • Art and Museum Centre Sinkka, Finland
  • Taguchi Art Collection, Japan
  • Swagemakers Collection, The Netherlands
  • Vigilius Mountain Resort, Italy

Artist Statement by Hideki Iinuma

My work explores the intersection of tradition and modernity. Specifically, it reflects the ever-changing trends of fashion. It also captures the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms, which bloom and fall within a week. Through wood sculpture, therefore, I aim to capture the essence of impermanence and transformation.
Rooted in the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, I embrace the natural imperfections of wood. In particular, I allow its organic forms to guide my process. By carving and refining the surface, and sometimes leaving raw textures, I create a dialogue between control and spontaneity. As a result, my sculptures reflect the quiet resilience of nature and the passage of time. Ultimately, they offer a tactile meditation on beauty and transience.

Interview with Sculptor Hideki Iinuma

In Their Own Words

Q. Describe the moment you realized art fed your soul.

I have been engaged in art since childhood. However, I truly realized its deep connection to my soul when I began working primarily with wood. Specifically, the tactile sensation, resistance, and organic nature of the material created a sense of dialogue between me and something beyond myself.

Q. What themes do you pursue in your art?

My work explores the interaction between tradition, contemporary art, and fashion. In doing so, it reflects the passage of time and impermanence. I am particularly influenced by the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, as well as the dialogue between Japanese and Western art.

Q. What influences the direction of your craft?

I am influenced by traditional Japanese woodcarving techniques. However, I also incorporate abstract and modern forms, drawing inspiration from abstract painters such as Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. Often, the grain and texture of the wood guide my creative decisions.

Q. How has your work developed over time?

Initially, my work was functional and representational. Over time, however, it evolved into more abstract and conceptual forms. In particular, experimenting with different types of wood and surface treatments, and blending Western art and fashion with wood sculpture, has become an essential part of my creative practice.

Q. What’s the most indispensable item in your studio?

My chisels. Indeed, each tool carries the history of my practice and defines the quality of my work.

Q. Do you collect anything?

I collect Choro-Q pullback toy cars from Japan. For me, they evoke nostalgia for Japan’s post-war automotive industry, as well as childhood memories of model cars and miniatures. In short, each toy carries a story and a connection to the past.

Q. What’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen, read, watched, or listened to recently?

I am inspired by stories of painters. In particular, documentaries on German artists such as Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter, who create in harmony with their souls, deeply resonate with my approach to sculpture.

Q. What advice would you give to your younger self about your artistic journey?

Trust the process, and embrace mistakes. Often, the imperfections in the material and technique lead to unexpected beauty and new creative paths.

Q. Bonus Question: What role does music play for you while you work?

I sometimes live-stream my work on Instagram and YouTube, using royalty-free AI-generated music. In addition, I create and listen to my own lo-fi, chill sounds to stay focused while working.

Q. Is there anything collectors need to know about care? Dusting? Any materials to use and NOT TO USE?

There is nothing to be particularly careful about. However, the color paint is strong because it is coated with acrylic paint. That said, if exposed to direct sunlight for 20 years, the red color may fade. If you want to store it for a long time, you should wrap it in a cotton cloth. Since the tree is breathing, do not seal it in a plastic bag. If dust accumulates, it may cause stains, so please dust it at least once every six months. Finally, please avoid touching it with your hands as much as possible.

View selected works →

Hideki Iinuma, contemporary sculptor, wood sculpture

Japanese

個展
  • 2002メゾン・ピラウド美術館（フランス）
  • 2003ヴィギリウス　マウンテンリゾート（イタリア）
  • 2003ギャラリー　コーネリウス・ブレーザー（ドイツ）
  • 2004ギャラリー コーネリウス・ブレーザー（ドイツ）
  • 2005エルンスト・パルラッハ賞展覧会（ドイツ）
  • 2005ファビアン＆クロード ワルター ギャラリー（スイス）
  • 2006ファビアン＆クロード ワルター ギャラリー（スイス）
  • 2010マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ（オランダ）
  • 2011「美女」XYZ collective [SNOW Contemporary]（東京）
  • 2011「美女」SLANT（金沢）
  • 2014「6th Sense」SNOW Contemporary（東京）
  • 2016「闘ウ女神タチ」松本市美術館（長野）
  • 2017「アマゾンナイルタクラマカン」SNOW Contemporary（東京）
  • 2018「New works」マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ（アムステルダム／オランダ）
  • 2018「東京楽園」SNOW Contemporary（東京）
  • 2018SCHOENE HEILIGE UND HELDINNEN「ヴィギリス　マウンテン　リゾート」（イタリア）
  • 2020「TENTACLE」マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ（アムステルダム／オランダ）
  • 2021「Symptoms / 兆候」SNOW Contemporary（東京）
  • 2022「Pro File Picture」SNOW Contemporary（東京）
  • 2024「Rullet」UG gallery（東京）
  • 2024「recto verso」Otherwise gallery（東京）
  • 2025「Solo Show」マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ（アムステルダム／オランダ）
  • 2025木彫ワークショップ ＆ プレゼンテーション、ヴィリジウス・マウンテン・リゾート（南チロル／イタリア）
グループ展
  • 2011「トンゲルローハウス美術館」（ローゼンダール／オランダ）
  • 2015「LUMINE meets ART AWARD」（東京）
  • 2017「Echoes from the Past | Tokyo | Berlin | Kerava」ケラヴァ美術館（フィンランド）
  • 2021「ART TAIWAN」GIN HUANG Galleryより（台湾）
  • 2021「アートフェア東京」SNOW Contemporaryより（東京）
  • 2022「アートフェア東京」SNOW Contemporaryより（東京）
  • 2023「Art session Part1」銀座蔦屋書店（東京）
  • 2023「EAST EAST TOKYO」SNOW Contemporaryより（東京）
  • 2024「START Box EXHIBITION vol.1」（東京）
  • 2024「Art session Part2」銀座蔦屋書店（東京）
  • 2025「Art Rotterdam 2025」マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツより（ロッテルダム／オランダ）
  • 2025「Pop up during Art Basel Paris」マリアン・クラマー・プロジェクツ、テンプル通り139番地（パリ／フランス）
今後の予定
  • 2026「木彫グループ展 2026」ネプチューン・ギャラリー（台南／台湾）
賞歴
  • 1999財団法人イノアック国際教育振興財団奨学金（愛知）
  • 2001フランス政府給費留学奨学金
  • 2004国際彫刻シンポジウム 一等賞（マルクノイキルヘン／ドイツ）
  • 2005エルンスト・バルラッハ賞（ドイツ）
  • 2013六甲ミーツ・アート 芸術散歩2013 主催者特別賞（兵庫）
  • 2016LUMINE meets ART AWARD 2015 グランプリ（東京）